Electric-light key-socket.



W. G. CLARK.

ELECTRIC LIGHT KEY SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED HAB.. 30, 1908.

Patented Maj 18, 1909.

IMMI- UNITED' sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

WILLIAM' CHARLES CLARK, OF KEEWATIN, ONTARIO, CANADA.

D ELECTRIC-LIGHT KEY-SOCKET.

Specination of Lettera Patent.

4Patented May 18, 1909.

Application led March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,188:

adapted to incandescent lamp lights, Whereby the electrical contact can be made and broken intermittently by pressing a push button or key.

A further object ot' the invention is to produce an inexpensive and durable device particular. attention having been directed to keeping the operative parts applicable to the ordinary socket, termed The Edison socket.

It consists essentially in a rotatable central rod having centrally thereon a pin,

and toward one of its ends a cross bar constituting abset of teeth; a contact bar rotatable on the rod and having ratchet teeth on its inner face with lwhich the cross bar teeth engage; a short. tube having a slot therein, the tube being adapted to pass over the rod and supported so that it is restrained to a sliding motion on the rod; a spiral spring bearing against the cross bar and a shoulder on the tube; and a push button at the end of. the tube, the parts being arranged and constructed ashereinatter more' particularly described. e

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a socket of the usual form provided with my invention, a part of the socket being torn away to expose theinterior. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the porcelain'insulator, in the plane denoted by tlie line X X', Fig. 4, showing the portions attached thereto, the contact bar being shown in the closed position, and the push button at its outer position. Fig. 3, is a corresponding sectional View of Fig. 2, the contact bar beingshown in the open position, and the push button at its inner position. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the porcelain insulator, showing the parts connected thereto, the movable parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the contact bar and the rod.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each' ligure. f

1' and 2 are the ordinary sup ly 'wires which enter the socket 3 through tiie insulator plug 4 in the cap 5.

6 1s the usual screw base of the socket, and 7 a portion of an incandescent lamp bulb screwing into the base.

8 is the usual porcelain insulator to which is connected the contact and working parts of the socket. Centrally in the porce ain insulator 1s an opening 9 for the insertion or' a screw 10,*wh1ch passes into and holds the supporting bar 11, which has its ends 12 and 13 turned downwardly, the insulator being cut away at 14 to allow for the bar. The end 13 of the bar has a square opening 15 formed therein, and the end 12 an elongated circular opening 16, which is provided for v a purpose later explained. 17 1s the usual flat pressure spring fasy tened by a screw 18 to the bar and with its free end enlarged at 19 to engage with the movable contactv bar, as later explained. The screw base of the socket is fastened to the porcelain insulator in the usual manner by screws which enter the threaded openings 20 and 21 provided. 22 is a stationary contact bar, which is adapted to make electrical connection with the contact piece of the inca-ndescentlamp. The stationary contactbar issupplied with a binding screw 23 by which the lead wire 1 is connected to the bar.

The supporting bar ,11 is supplied with a laterally extending member 24 which is prol vided with a binding screw y25 by which the lead wire 2 is placed -\in electrical contact with the bar.

2G is a short tube having the inner end provided with a spiral slot 27 and the outer end squared .t 28 and adapted to pass slidably into the squared opening 15 in the downwardly turned end 13 of the bar. The extending end of the tube is threaded at 29 and receives a push button 30.

28 is a collar1 on the tube adapted to limit the outward displacement of the tube.

31 is a rod with its inner end bearing in the inside of the tube and carrying a pin 32 which operates in the spiral slot 27. l

33 isa movable contact bar centered on the rod 31 immediately to the inside of the end 12 of the bar 11. The bar is provided such that for the entire travel the rod 31 is of electrical contact with the to invention has'been described in connection 4""bar 22 is continuously in COIltaCt Releasing the pressure again sets the cross of the movable contact bar is supplied with l ratchet teeth 35v and the rod 31 carries va cross bar 36 which constitutes teeth adapted toengage with the ratchet teeth.

37 is a spiral spring ncircling the tube and the rod, abutting at its one end the` inner face of the collar 28 and at its other end the cross bar 36, in this wise tending continuously to keep the cross bar in engagement with the ratchet teeth.

'`he enlarged end of the pressure spring 17 rests' continuously against the movable contact bar 33 as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, tending to keep the shoulder 34 at the lower end of the opening 16.

The travel or movement of the tube is limited at the one extremity (the inner) by the pin 32 reaching the end of the spiral slot and abutting the collar 28, and at the other extremity (the outer) by the shoulder enga ing with the downwardly turned end 13 o the bar 17. The distance of travel, in other words the length of the spiral slot, is

turned one-quarter turn, and consequently I the bar 32 is turned a similar distance., The number of the ratchet teeth 35 is such that one-quarter turn'v of the bar 36 causes onequarter turn ofthecontactgbar 33.

It will be seen that when the push button 30 is forced inwardly to the full extent, it carries with it the tube which causes the rod 'to rotate one-quarterturn, and as the cross bar 36 is continuously in engagement with the ratchet teeth the movable contact bar 33 is also turned one-quarter turn. This places the contact bar in electrical connection with the upper face of the base of the socket 6 and consequently completes the electric circuit for the lamp as the station'-ly e spring 17 assures a tight contact between the contact bar and the top of the base and in combination with'the elongated-opening 16 allows the contact bar to clearhreadily.

Releasing the pressure on the push button allows it to return to the outer position on account of the spiral spring, and such movement -turns the rod back one-quarterturn, resetting the bar 36. Forcing the push button inwardly again rotates the rod, and this, by virtue ofthe cross bar and ratchet teeth causes the contact bar 33 to be thrown out of the base and consequently breaks Ythe amp circuit.

bar 36 so that when the push button is again forced inwardl lthe lamp circuit is closed by the'contactI ar 33 having traveled onequarter turn.

It will be understood that although'my with an incandescent li ht socket, yet it may with considerably less iiiculty be used as a wall push button circuit' closer. In this latter case one is not governed by a pre viously established design, such as the Edison, or other commercial incandcent socket.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with an insulatingl support and a conducting screw base secured thereto, of a supporting bar fastened to the insulating support, said bar having its ends turned downwardly; a rotatable Contact bar having a shoulder thereon, the Shoulder bearing in one of the downwardly turned ends of the aforesaid bar; a rotatable rod bearing at its one end within the shoulder, an inwardly' slidable tube carried by the other downwardly turned end of the bar, such tube forming a bearing for the other end of the rod, and means whereby the inward and outward movement of the tube successivelyl rotates the contact bar 'into and out of engagement with the base, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In. a device of the class described the combination with an insulating support, and a supporting bar secured thereto, the said supporting bar having its ends turned downwardly, of a rotatable contact bar having a shoulder thereon bearing in an opening provided in one of the downwardly extending ends of the supporting bar; a rotatable rod with. one of its ends bearing in the shoulder; a pin on the rod; a tube having one of its ends squared and passing into a square opening provided in the other downwardly turned end of the supporting bar, the tube forming a bearing for the other end of the rod and having a spiral slot therein xin which the pin operates; and means carried by the rod and engaging with the contact bar, the inward movement of the tube serving to rotate the rod and through it the contact bar one .quarter revolution, such means allowing the tube to return to its outer position while the contact bar is stationary; and means for returning the tube to the outer position, as and for the purpose specified.

3. .In a. device of the class described the combination with an insulating support and a supporting bar secured thereto having its ends turned downwardly, of a rotatable ,contact bar having-.,ashoulder thereon; the

in one of the downwardlyextending ends;

a set of ratchet teeth on the inner face of the contact bar; a rotatable .rod with its one end bearing inthe shoulder; and av cross1 bar on the rod, the cross bar constituting teeth adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth; a pin carried by the rod; a 'tube passing over the free end of the rod and provided with a spiral slot which receivesv the pin, the' outer end of the tube being squared; the

squared end passingv into and through a squared opening` provided inthe other down- Wardly extending end of the supporting bar Signed at Kenora, in the Province of Ona, collar 011 the tube; a spiralspring encrtario, this 6th day of Mrch 1908.

cling the tube and the rod-and abutting at its 011e end the cross bar n the rod sind at WILLIAM CHARLES CLARK' its other end the shoulder, and a push button Witnesses:

at the other end of the tube, as and for the J. F. MACGILLIVRAY, purpose specified. OLIVE GORDON. 

